Sunday 24/09/2014, 21:00, France Ligue 1, Round 3, Nantes vs Monaco
Nantes vs Monaco Preview
Things are surprisingly complicated in the French first division after two rounds, with PSG trailing the leader by four points, while Monaco sits in the last place. The desperately need to turn the ship around quickly and the match against Nantes is a must win fixture. It makes no difference that Monaco place on the road, because everyone expects them to win the first match this season and nobody would settle for a draw.
Nantes vs Monaco Odds
Nantes 3.50, Draw 3.30, Monaco 2.10
Nantes vs Monaco Tips
It would be an understatement to say that the pressure is on the visiting team tonight, because they are the ones who need to collect all three points. They have two players still mending injuries, but except for these two absentees their lineup is intact and what's most important, all strikers are fit to play.
Falcao started on the bench last week and Berbatov spearheaded the offensive, with the Bulgarian striker also scoring the opening goal. Unfortunately for him and Monaco, this was not enough, as the hosts fired back in the second half, scoring four unanswered goals Appearances can be deceiving though, because both teams had the same ball possession and it was the visitors who sent more shots to the net.
Bordeaux was given two penalties in the second half and both of them were converted, further complicating matters for Monaco. They play consecutive games on the road and once again they can expect to be pit against an overly defensive team. Nantes is under no illusion that they start as underdogs despite playing in front of their fans and will adjust their strategy accordingly.
They have a reputation for knowing how to defend scoreless draws when they try to and will have no hesitations in fielding a defensive minded 5-4-1 starting formation. Aristeguieta from Venezuela will be the only striker tonight and he doesn't have too many goals scored for Nantes.
Key Facts
- The hosts are undefeated in August and drew three out of four games, winning the other one by a narrow margin.
- Monaco won both games last season and scored a total of four goals while limiting opponents to just one.
Nantes vs Monaco Prediction
After witnessing their defensive meltdown last week, punters are probably reluctant to back Monaco once again on the road. On the other hand, Nantes doesn't have the same options upfront as Bordeaux did, therefore they will be far less dangerous on counterattacks. Odds of 2.10 for the visitors to prevail are just high enough to warrant yet another leap of faith with Monaco, despite their slow season start.
Bet: Monaco @ 2.10 with Pinnacle Sports
